A great deal of pleasure and excitement can be derived from racing a bicycle at high speeds, especially in a competitive atmosphere. For some, stunt riding, including the ability to pull "wheelies," provides added exhilaration. For others, vigorous cycling provides an excellent aerobic exercise. As a practical matter however, many of those people desiring to participate in bicycle racing or exercising do not have the available equipment, or the available time. In addition, a great number of people prefer to exercise in the comfort and privacy of their home or office, thus eliminating the option of bicycling.
In response to this need, bicycle simulators have been developed which provide the sensation of riding a bicycle in a stationary position while offering the opportunity for vigorous exercise. Many of these bicycle simulators incorporate conventional or modified bicycle frames mounted in a stationary manner on a support framework such that the rider experiences the sensation of bicycle riding by actively pedaling the bicycle. Such activity provides an excellent aerobic workout without the need for leaving one's home or without the added strain of dealing with traffic and obstacles associated with outdoor riding.
While stationary bicycles have generally proven to be popular exercise devices, they are often mentally unstimulating since continuous pedaling while stationed in a static position can be monotonous and tedious. To address this problem, bicycle exercise machines have been developed which incorporate a visual display interfaced with the bicycle to enhance the pleasure derived from the activity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,605 to Ritchie, discloses an exercise device which employs potentiometers positioned at different locations on the exercise bicycle in order to sense the speed of the bicycle wheel and the position of the handlebars, as directed by the user. The potentiometers electrically control the movement of a corresponding player on an interfaced video display. U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,567 to Phillips, discloses a conventional exercise bicycle which also incorporates a series of potentiometers and a generator that provide signals indicating the position of the handlebars and speed of the pedaling action, and thereby manipulate a corresponding character on a video display.
While bicycle exercisers such as the Ritchie and Phillips devices have proven satisfactory for many people bored with conventional monotonous exercising, they have very limited ability to simulate bicycle riding. Lacking a functioning rear wheel, these exercise devices are mounted on a rigid frame which precludes any lateral movement while exercising. As a result, there have been demands for more realistic simulation of bicycle riding.
Further to these demands, bicycle riding systems have been developed which attempt to simulate variable terrain conditions, such as uphill or windy conditions or bumpy roadways. Some exercise devices, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,183 to Kim, employ a treadmill over which the wheels of the bicycle rotate wherein the treadmill incorporates surface irregularities in an effort to simulate road surface terrain. However, the Kim device lacks usual feedback to simulate travel up and down inclined surfaces or participate in a racing atmosphere.
Other devices offer resistance to pedaling action to increase the amount of exertion necessary to operate the exercise device. For example, the Ritchie device, referenced above, includes adjustable resistance to wheel rotation by employing a motor secured to the bicycle which varies the tension on the bicycle wheel. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,613 to Bisberg, discloses a bicycle training system which provides a dynamometer for increasing resistance to rear wheel rotation by the user to simulate uphill and wind conditions. However, the Bisberg device fails to effectively simulate bicycle riding as the frame is rigidly restricted from lateral movement While U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,651 to Defaux, also discloses a bicycle training device capable of varying resistance to user pedaling action, it too fails to simulate many features of bicycle riding, including the ability to lean or pull a wheelie. In addition, neither the Bisberg device nor the Defaux device provide any visual feedback.
To further enhance bicycle riding simulation, other devices have been developed which incorporate a video display and a mechanism for road simulation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,917 to Yang, discloses an exercise and training device having a support frame including a seat and handlebars. The Yang device employs sensors on the support frame which interface with an electronic video display for controlling the relative position of a user with respect to a mock road as displayed from the view of the user on the display screen. Also incorporated within the Yang device is a means for providing resistance to pedaling action and for providing passive exercise by electronically rotating the pedals. However, the Yang device does not permit lateral or leaning movement of a bicycle or the ability to pull a wheelie.
Another device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,475 to Sargeant, et al., is a bicycle training device which utilizes a conventional bicycle supported on a frame having a rear support roller incorporated therein. The front fork of the bicycle frame is supported on a flexible arm of the base while the rear wheel of the bicycle rests on the roller. A variable load is placed on the roller to generate resistance on the rear tire so as to simulate wind and road conditions. In addition, simulated movement of the bicycle is produced on a video display supported by the front fork support tube. In the Sargeant, et al. device, a user sees the position of the bicycle as it progresses along a racing course and in conjunction with a pack of other racers. However, the course is displayed graphically as a rectilinear line in which the simulated bicycle is shown as a cursor mark on the line. While the Sargeant, et al. device permits some bicycle riding simulation, there are drawbacks. As with the Yang device, there is no lateral or leaning movement permitted. In addition, the user is not permitted to pull a wheelie. Furthermore, there is no means for generating power assistance to bicyclist pedaling.
The Bisberg device, referenced above, interfaces an audio/visual display with an electronic means for changing the resistance. The audio/visual display is a tape recorder and/or video projector for apprising the user of the anticipated changes in conditions and instructs the user of proper operation. Despite these features, the Bisberg device suffers from the same drawbacks associated with the Yang and Sargeant, et al. devices.
While these above-described devices offer some degree of bicycle riding simulation they are lacking a realistic bicycle riding simulation. In apparent attempts to improve upon earlier devices, simulation systems have been developed which incorporate some of the above simulation features and include some form of lateral displacement. For example, the Kim device referenced above permits the bicycle to be maneuvered in such a manner as to move the front wheel laterally from side to side relative to the treadmill or to tilt the bicycle from side to side. The Defaux device also referenced above discloses a mechanism for providing some lateral movement of the bicycle by employing a horizontally-slidable member which supports the bicycle in a vertical position.
Other simulation devices have been developed which attempt to simulate "wheelies," i.e., vertical rotation of the cycle in the vertical plane. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,967 to Letovsky et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,262 to Cunningham, Jr., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,447 to Mansfield, each disclose a device which permits a user to tilt rearwards. Letovsky discloses a motorcycle positioned on a platform in such a manner as to provide six degrees of movement, including rearward rotation. Cunningham, Jr. similarly discloses a motorcycle simulator which incorporates a motorcycle body supported from a U-shaped guide member having vertical springs which permits rearward rotation. Finally, the Mansfield device is an exercise apparatus for use with a video game which incorporates a frame assembly pivotable in rearward direction. While the Letovsky, Cunningham and Mansfield devices provide for some vertical rotation, they fail to truly simulate "wheelies" wherein a cycle rotates in a rearward direction about an axis proximate to the rear wheel. On the contrary, each of the three devices rotate about an axis located directly beneath the rider. As such, vertical rotation is more analogous to a "rocker chair". In addition, none of the devices incorporate such a feature in a bicycle simulating format.
Some prior art devices employ a computer to simulate movement of the user on a track or in competition with other computer-generated cyclists. An example of such computer-interfaced simulators can be found in the patents to Sargeant et al., Yang and Letovsky, all of which have been referenced above. In each, the static movement of the bicycle, i.e., pedaling and steering of the vehicle without actual forward motion, is continuously monitored and registered with a computer or microprocessor wherein such static movement is translated into dynamic movement of a corresponding cycle about a track on a video display. However, with such systems, there are drawbacks. For example none of the prior art devices show computer generated replicas of competitors as they progress along a variable terrain racing track.
Regarding the specific mechanics of prior art simulators, some devices incorporate one or more horizontally-positioned rollers which slidably support the cycle upon which the rider sits. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,776 to Dahl, and the British patent to Creasey, Patent No. 1,577,866 each disclose a motorcycle simulator wherein a motorcycle is vertically supported on a base having crown rollers at opposite ends for supporting the front and rear tires. In the Dahl device, a vertical support is hingeably attached to both the motorcycle frame and the base so that a certain amount of leaning movement of the motorcycle is permitted when the front wheel is turned. There is also a certain amount of vertical linear movement permitted wherein springs provide resistance to such vertical movement. Other devices providing roller support for a bicycle include those disclosed in the patents to Bisberg, Kim, and Defaux, each of which are referenced above. The roller support system has proven advantageous in that it facilitates lateral horizontal movement of the cycle and provides an effective means of transferring resistance to pedaling action of the rider. However, the above-referenced systems have drawbacks associated with direct contact between the cycle wheels and the rollers. For example, although some of the systems support the cycle from below or from the rear, the user may sometimes find it difficult to balance the cycle. In addition, there is a certain amount of slippage associated with tire rotation on the rollers, especially when resistive means are employed to exert a load on rotation of the cycle wheels. Furthermore, a shift in the rider's weight will necessary entail reduced engagement of a cycle tire with a roller thereby diminishing effective transfer of mechanical energy.
Another important drawback to the prior art devices is the exposure of moving parts to the user. Typically, with those devices providing rotating front or rear bicycle tires, the spokes supporting the wheels create a hazard as they often rotate at speeds which could cause significant injury to a young user who inadvertently places their hands near the wheel. In addition, in those devices employing a roller assembly, the juncture of the rotating wheels and the spinning rollers also presents an obviously dangerous situation. As such, direct operation of the bicycle wheels, either rigidly supported from a base mount or freely supported from a roller, is a serious drawback.
Despite the above described developments of the bicycle simulators and exercise machines described above, there is still lacking in the prior art a bicycle simulator which truly presents a realistic overall simulation of active riding of a bicycle on a track and in competition with other simulated cyclists. Indeed, while many of the prior art devices incorporate some of the above-described features, none disclose all of the features simultaneously. Furthermore, none disclose or suggest a system which could incorporate all of these features in a functionally effective fashion wherein the rider experiences the thrill of bicycle racing on an actual bicycle. Consequently, it is desired to have a bicycle riding simulating system which incorporates a "bicycle" mechanism having a conventional bicycle appearance. In addition, it is desired that this new system harness such a "bicycle" to a mechanical support assembly connected electronically with a computer and video display so as to more realistically simulate travel about a variable-terrain, multi-geometrically-shaped track, including the ability to simulate wheelies.